Kevin Durant’s return to the court was cut short after the Golden State Warriors star went down with an apparent Achilles injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
Durant hadn’t played in a game since Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals when he suffered a right calf injury. He looked to have aggravated it again Monday night, but president of basketball operations Bob Myers tearfully told reporters they believe Durant tore his Achilles tendon.
It was a win-or-go-home Game 5 for Golden State as it staved off elimination to force a Game 6. And even though Durant was medically cleared to return, sources told Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes the 30-year-old wasn’t “anywhere close to 100 percent.”
Family, teammates and confidants routinely checked on Durant during his quest to rejoin his guys on the court,” Haynes wrote. “Each time, Durant explained that he was working to speed up the process but was still experiencing discomfort pushing off his right foot, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
“Sources described Durant as being in agony because he was unable to help his teammates.
“… Even though he was cleared for Game 5, Durant was not anywhere close to 100 percent, sources said. The individual workout sessions and the light practice session on Sunday could not simulate the rigors of an ultra-competitive championship game.”
The extent of Durant’s injury still is unknown, and it may cause problems when it comes to his NBA future if he opts out of his contract and explores the free-agent market, where he can seek a max contract. But right now, it’s likely the forward is focused on recovering so he can be 100 percent come the 2019-20 opening night.
